Lake Eden Arts Festival–A vision of things to come?
Love, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true,
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.
–”Sanctuary” as performed by Billy Jonas (Words & music by Bill Batstone)
As we left the October 14-16, 2005 edition of LEAF–the Lake Eden Arts Festival–listening to “The Deepest Part of Me,” a lovely Celtic tune by Dougie MacLean, Shonnie and I both wept tears of gratitude and sadness. Gratitude for the extraordinary weekend of song, dance, poetry, hiking, healing, crafts, healthy food, play, peaceful energy and, yes, love. And sadness that that this Western North Carolina gathering was over until next spring.
I cannot remember a time in my life when I felt so present, so open, so nonjudgmental, so willing to partake of what was being offered in the present moment. No computers, no cell phones, no PDAs, no TVs, no radios, just the stuff of life. Poets sharing their innermost feelings. Singers singing from the heart. Dancers boogying till the cows come home. Drummers drumming their hearts out. Craftspeople sharing their creativity. Healers healing. Kids running in packs with no need for adult supervision. All under the glorious autumn skies of Western North Carolina with 70 degree daytime temperatures while cool enough at night to make you want to snuggle down in your sleeping bag.
LEAF is certainly a cultural event, a social event, a huge mix of folks–from the kids with multiple piercings and extravagant tattoos to the aging yuppies with their kids and grandkids. But it is more than that for me: it is a mystical experience in which my spirit soars, a sanctuary in which I’m released from the labors my anxious mind warns me I must contend with–money that must be made, floors that must be swept, emails that must be answered, TV shows that must be watched. Free to do whatever calls me in that moment, free to follow the energy, free to fully be me.
Perhaps LEAF is the harbinger of a new cultural paradigm, a culture in which we are truly for one another, a culture in which folks are encouraged to simplify their lives, to let go of the need to accumulate more stuff, to disregard the demands of our dominant culture and to be who they really are.
One might say that it’s easy to be loving, generous and accepting in an atmosphere like LEAF; that it’s not the real world. But why couldn’t it be the real world? What’s stopping us from creating LEAF in our lives every day? What would it take for me to pay more attention to those around me, to treat them with greater love and respect, to look each person I walk past in the eyes and smile? What would it take for me to spend less time in front of my technological gadgets and more time connecting with friends and neighbors? What would it take for me to follow the energy, follow what I’m truly called to do rather than what I’ve been taught I should do? What would it take for me to live my life every day like I lived last weekend at LEAF?
Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) is a non-profit organization established to enhance people’s lives through creative expressions, the arts, dance and music from a variety of cultures. LEAF seeks to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of cultural traditions and the arts in Western North Carolina and beyond. LEAF promotes heritage preservation, multi-cultural education, community outreach, and connecting children and families to the arts. The LEAF in Schools & Streets program was developed specifically to enhance the arts in local schools and community centers. This program is dedicated to empowering youth with festive arts. Visit www.theleaf.com or call 828.68.MUSIC (686-8742) for more information about LEAF. Future LEAF Dates: 2006: May 12-14 & Oct 20-22 / 2007: May 11-13 & Oct 19-21
Tuesday, October 18th, 2005No Comments »
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